


Fighting Evil By Moonlight

by flyingcrowbar



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan
Genre: Alternate Universe, Comic-Con, Conventions, Cosplay, Costumes, F/M, San Diego Comic-Con
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-07-07
Updated: 2014-07-08
Packaged: 2018-02-07 21:20:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,143
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1914237
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/flyingcrowbar/pseuds/flyingcrowbar
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Annabeth loves cosplay. Dressed up as Sailor Moon, she attends Comic-Con in the hopes of having a good time. Then she meets a mysterious Tuxedo Mask cosplayer and that's when her weekend only gets wilder.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

“Hey, is my eyeliner smeared?”

This was the only time Annabeth allowed herself to be concerned about her appearance. Sure, she didn’t  _not_  mind how she looked, but this was a special occasion to be a little obsessive. People with badges strung around their necks didn’t care if she was intelligent, or had a good personality, or if she had very strong, academic thoughts about the validity of feminism in Sailor Moon - all they wanted was a picture of her in the signature pose. She had to look at least presentable.

“Close your eyes,” Piper said. Annabeth did as she was told and only opened them when Piper gave the all clear. “Nope, you’re good.”

“Thanks,” Annabeth said, smiling. She hadn’t spent hours in front of the mirror this morning only to ruin it with . Makeup was not her strong suit - however, she couldn’t deny how good she looked. Perhaps it was more about how she felt, rather than looked. That cute, itty-bitty skirt, those elbow-length gloves, the fake eyelashes - honestly, who wouldn’t feel great?

The wig cap was a little tight on her scalp, keeping her mane of blonde hair beneath the pig-tailed ensemble that sat atop her head though. Plus, it was getting a little funky in the convention center - not even the disco funky, but more of a  _Yikes, has anyone showered in days?_  kind of funk. She was tired - it had been a whole day of her walking maybe five feet before being stopped for a photo. The boots had been comfortable at first but not after nearly twelve hours on her feet. Maybe it was time to get changed back into her t-shirt and jeans.

“Hey, Sailor Moon? Can we get a photo?” a father ( _clearly_ ) asked, his shy daughter at his side. She was hiding her face into his leg, like Annabeth was going to eat her.

“Yeah sure!” she said, adjusting the long hair over her shoulder.

“Um - would you mind if… ? You’re her favorite character.” He indicated to the girl who probably wasn’t older than five.

“Of course!”

She knelt down and held her arm open as the girl looked up to her dad first, then bolted to Annabeth’s side - refusing to look her in the eye the whole time. Annabeth smiled wide and flashed the peace sign while the little girl clasped her hands in front of her.

When it was all over, the girl ran back to her dad and pretended like Annabeth wasn’t there. It wasn’t upsetting at all; in fact, it was quite adorable. Annabeth used to be the same way - just completely overwhelmed with seeing her idol in person? It was probably the equivalent of meeting someone like Brad Pitt or Scarlett Johansson in real life. Not that she had any experience with that, but it probably wasn’t too far off.  _What do I do with my hands? Do I look sweaty? Oh wow, this is happening…_

“Thank you!” Annabeth said, waving to the little girl.

The girl blushed and smiled, even though she grabbed her dad’s pants and wouldn’t let go. They shuffled off into the crowd and disappeared from view.

Annabeth stood once more, made sure her skirt wasn’t revealing anything she hadn’t intended, then turned to find Piper lingering, still holding her bag and her artwork.

“I can take those back,” Annabeth said.

“What’s the point? I’m just going to need to hold them again,” Piper teased. “But I am thinking about meeting up with that Superman we ran into earlier, so…”

“Oh-ho-ho.” It was Annabeth’s turn to tease.

“Ah, shut up. He was super hot admit it. Plus, you know me.”

“No, I get it. I’m just really good at giving you a hard time.”

Piper raised an eyebrow. “Mmhmm.”

Annabeth laughed. “Think he’s going to recognize you? You were a Disney princess this morning and now you’re a Pokemon trainer.”

“Misty, thank you very much.”

It was so easy to get her miffed. Annabeth grinned, scrunching up her nose. Really, Piper made a fantastic Misty, with her little Togepi in her arm and a perfectly perky wig. Annabeth wished she had gone for something a little more comfortable for this con like Piper, but Sailor Moon was just too tempting. It had always been a dream of hers to be a character from the show. She often fantasized about having world-saving adventures when she was little. Now that she was older, it was a bit more practical just to play pretend.

“You want me to come with you? Just to make sure the dude’s not a total creep?” she asked.

Piper waved her off with a flick of her wrist. “I have a feeling about this one. Now the real question is: will you be alright on your own without me?”

“Yeah, yeah! Don’t worry, I’ll be…”

If she had had a chance to finish the sentence, it probably would have come out in gibberish because the sea of bodies parted for just a moment long enough for her to spot a familiar face through the crowd. Well - familiar in a way. She could have recognized the cape, top hat, and white mask anywhere.  _Tuxedo Mask._

Her stomach suddenly felt very gooey. He was tall, and a little lanky, and he had a mess of dark hair underneath that hat that made her feel very giddy. Maybe it was just because the character was so attractive, maybe it was that the eyes that spotted her behind the mask were so seagreen she could get washed away in her thoughts - either way, she had never felt such a rush in her blood before.

“Oh hey! Look! A Tuxedo Mask!” Piper said, nudging her as if she hadn’t already noticed. Piper waved a hand and shouted, “Hey! Mamoru - Tuxedo Mask, dude! Over here! Can I get your picture?”

He perked up at the call, and waved to signal that he was coming over.

“Oh wow,” Annabeth gasped, not realizing that it was outloud. “Oh wow.”

“Hey, cool - Sailor Moon,” he said, coming close enough to get a better look. “You look great!”

Annabeth felt heat in her cheeks, but she thanked him anyway. “And you - I haven’t seen a Tuxedo Mask all day.”

“Good. Then you’ll remember me easier.”

She didn’t know if he meant to flirt with her, but  _damn_  was it working. He filled out the tuxedo well. Not many men could actually wear a white bow-tie and not come off a little full of himself. He even had a rose.  _Of_   _course_  he had a rose. She felt stupid for the first time in what felt like a very long while.

His voice was suddenly very close to her ear. “Do you mind if I put my arm around you?”

A million thoughts rushed into her head when Piper stepped back to get a better angle from her camera, all of which could really only be summed up as such:

_AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!_

It was getting very hard to breathe. She shook her head, finding words very difficult. Con ettiquette - this guy had it. Check another tickbox of reasons why this guy was quite a sight to behold. “Go for it.”

She felt his hand slide against her lower back and his fingers tighten around her hip. He pulled her in close and she couldn’t help but tense up a little.

“I’m going to get in close, okay?” His words were low and comforting as he dipped her, like they were dancers in a ballet. She had never gone this involved with another cosplayer before - and even this was tame, comparatively. However, the twist in her gut told her that this was different because he was close - way close.

His lips were inches from her, centimeters even -

They were thin, but not unwanting, and his breath was warm on her cheek. His eyes were slits of ocean beneath his lids and her head swam with the thrill of it. And yet, there was the barrier between them, a void she could cross if she simply tilted her chin up and… He didn’t move any further, and neither did Annabeth. This was as far as they would go.

She caught a whiff of him - chlorine, like he had just gotten out of the hotel’s pool and decided to romp around the convention center for the fun of it. A smile twisted onto her lips and she found her bearings. She brought her hand up to his jaw and held the pose, and she couldn’t help the flush that overwhelmed her.

This was her Brad Pitt moment.

“Perfect!” Piper exclaimed, taking a look at the finished product on the screen.

Her hip was suddenly very cold when his hand left and he put her back up on her own two feet. “Am I going to see you at the photoshoot tomorrow?” he asked.

“Uh, yeah. I think. Noon, right?”

“Yeah! I’ll look forward to it. See you then!” And just like that, he was gone. It might have been a second, it might have been a decade, but Annabeth stood there just staring off into the direction he went, uncaring of the traffic jam she was causing in the middle of the aisle.

“Oh-ho-ho,” Piper mocked, sidling up next to her.

“Don’t.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Annabeth has had a bad day. Pervs lurk around every corner... until she runs into the mysterious Tuxedo Mask again.

 

“Hey, you got a place to stay tonight?” The guy was pink-cheeked and his eyes stared right through her. He stopped Annabeth in the hallway, his hand missing her breast by inches when she pulled back. He stumbled, he could barely stand he was so drunk. The liquor on his breath was overwhelming and she was polite enough not to gag.

“Yeah, I’m good,” she said, faking a smile.

“Where at?”

Like she was going to tell him which hotel and which room number? She could have laughed. “No thanks.”

“Aw, don’t be like that. Listen, my name’s Bruce. I’m a cool guy. How ‘bout we go and get to know each other a little more? I see you like Sailor Moon. We can talk about that, maybe take some photos…”

Annabeth walked past him, but he clamped onto her wrist. She ripped herself from his grasp and stared him down.

“Back off,” she said. Her jaw was clenched so hard, she could have crushed a brick between her teeth.

“C’mon, baby. I’m only being friendly.”

“Touch me again, and I  _will_  hit you.”

He only laughed, like he would love to see that happen, but Annabeth kept the snarling rage in her gut tame enough for her to turn and walk away. She could feel the guy’s eyes on her as she did, so she hurried. She turned the corner and found more people and a kind of safety washed over her. Maybe the guy wouldn’t follow her if he had an audience.

But she looked over her shoulder and there he was. He was holding up his phone and took a picture of her. Embarrassment more than anything filled her up so she rushed into the crowd.

Right in the middle was a bar setup for the convention hall, loud and energized with people still in costume having a few drinks with friends. Maybe if she became one with the masses, he would give up and go find someplace to pass out in the dirt.

She ambled her way up to the counter and got the bartender’s attention. She showed him her ID and ordered a vodka martini. A good drink would help calm her fury, but until then her hands were clamped into fists making her knuckles as white as the guy’s teeth she wanted to punch in.

The drink was placed in front of her and she dropped too much cash down. She was preparing for another. It was that kind of day.

She took a sip, then two and felt the warm calm run down her throat and settle in her belly. Her head hurt from her wig cap, pressing her thick hair against her head so it was like its own protective helmet. And she wished she could rub her eyes because the circle lenses were finally becoming uncomfortable. After she felt safer, she would go back up to the room and get changed.

Piper was still off with that Superman guy and Annabeth didn’t want to bother her with something so stupid.

Someone came up behind her and she felt a sudden spike of annoyance.

“Listen, I already told you -”

But it wasn’t who she thought it was.

“Hey again, bun-head,” the Tuxedo Mask from earlier said. “Expecting someone else?”

A sigh of relief pushed itself from her lungs in the same moment a gentle prickle of heat fastened down on her cheeks. If this guy was any more like his character, it’d be too convenient - showing up in the nick of time with a grin and a twinkle in his eye. At the look on her face though, his smile fell.

“Is everything okay?”

“It’s fine. It’s just… people are creeps.”

He glanced around, but the guy had gone anyway. All that was left were the clusters of drunk con-goers and cosplayers. One would think by now Annabeth would be used to that kind of thing, people thinking they can do whatever they wanted because she was dressed like an animated character.

“Seriously, are you okay?” he asked again.

Annabeth nodded and turned back to her drink. She stirred the olives with the little plastic sword round and round the rim of the glass.

“Captain Morgan, on the rocks, please,” Tuxedo Mask ordered to the bartender, then pointed to the stool to Annabeth’s left. “You mind?”

She shook her head and he put his top hat on the counter then took his seat. He still smelled like chlorine - maybe it was his cologne. A very odd choice, but it was comforting nevertheless.

“I’m Percy, by the way. And you are…?”

“Oh, sorry,” Annabeth said, smiling at her rudeness. “I’m Annabeth.”

“Annabeth. Nice to meet you. Where you from?”

She paused. Hesitance weighed on her mind, only because she was a little shaken up and he sensed that.

He switched gears and said, “I’m from New York. This is my first year here. It’s all so exciting, don’t you think?” He took a sip of the drink that had been set before him.

“Yeah,” she said. “I’ve never been either. I just went to smaller cons before I could afford this one.”

“I know! This place is so expensive. I ate mostly beef jerky and Gatorade just to save up.”

Annabeth laughed. He was still wearing his mask, but he wasn’t trying to hide anything. She could see how friendly and genuine he was. She didn’t feel threatened or scared being near him. It was like he was a completely different species than that creep Bruce.

“Are you only being Sailor Moon this weekend?”

“No, I’ve got Batgirl too. My friend Piper was going to be Wonder Woman with me.”

“No way! I’ve got Aquaman back in my hotel room. Maybe we’ll see each other at the DC photoshoot too!”

“I’d like that a lot actually,” she said, in all honesty. “You’re a breath of fresh air.”

The corners of his mouth twitched up a little bit and he looked at her with those sea green eyes. She realized, with a jolt of excitement, he wasn’t wearing contacts. Somehow that just made things light in her belly.

She took another sip of her drink to clear her mind.

“So did you make your costume?” she asked.

“I can’t take all the credit. My mom made the cape.”

“Your mom?”

“Hey, at least I tried, okay? It just turned into a poncho.”

Annabeth snorted into her drink, nearly spraying it all over the bar.

“Don’t laugh,” he said, though he had a smile of his own.

“Do you still live with your mom?”

He shook his head. “Close-by though. I like to stay near, just in case. If she needs anything, I’m a phone call away. She’s done so much for me, it’s the least I can do.”

“That’s really sweet of you.”

It was Percy’s turn to blush and rub the back of his neck with his palm.

And they sat like this, for a really long time. Their drinks dropped low then empty and they got a second round. They talked about everything - what movies they were excited for this summer, what costumes they wanted to do in the future, what celebrities they got autographs from, and so on.

“I know! Scarlett Johansson is so tiny in real life! She could still probably kick my ass.”

Annabeth laughed, knowing that to be true. “But it would be an honor.”

“Oh! Such an honor! Think about it? Where’d I get this scar? Dude, you’ll never believe me!”

Annabeth’s belly was getting sore from laughing so hard for so long. All her worries were gone, long having forgotten about creepy perverts lurking in hallways and the bruise that was slowly forming on her wrist from his touch. Percy was everything she could have hoped for this weekend.

Her good mood was shattered when someone grabbed her from behind.

“I found you…” Bruce. His breath was hot and gross on her ear. He was even more drunk than the last time. “Let’s take this upstairs.”

His hand snaked around to her front and he took a tight handful of her chest. Annabeth reacted without even thinking, grabbed his thumb and bent it backward and he howled in pain then fell to the ground.

With a flap of his cape, Percy was on top of him, his fist bunched on the guy’s t-shirt and brought him to his feet.

“What the fuck is wrong with you?!” Percy shouted in his face.

The crowded bar spread like oil and water, watching the scene play out. Bruce struggled against Percy’s grip. “Lay off, man!” But Percy wasn’t about ready to let this go.

Annabeth was on her feet by then. “Someone call Security!”

“I’m good! I’m good!” Bruce said, wrenching himself free of Percy’s clutches. “I just thought she was someone else.”

“Yeah, right.”

“We’re cool, dude. We’re friends, yeah?” Bruce patted Percy’s chest and wobbled on his feet. Percy merely stared him down.

“Is this the guy that was bugging you?” Percy asked.

Annabeth nodded, bile creeping at the back of her throat. She didn’t often dislike people - she  _hated_  Bruce.

“Honest mistake,” Bruce said, holding up his hands defensively. “We’re fine.”

Before turning, Percy gave him a once over, lip raised in disgust, and snarled, “Try that again, and you have to deal with me.”

“No problem, no problem,” Bruce said.

Percy huffed, bristling with unspent fury, and came back to Annabeth. “Are you alright?”

“Better. It’s - PERCY!”

Bruce had lunged at them and sucker punched Percy right in the side. The two fell over and fought, fists flying. People screamed and ran and Annabeth knew the con security would be here any second. She pulled Bruce off of Percy and pushed him to the ground. He fell, sliding into a stool which toppled on top of him.

Annabeth grabbed Percy’s hand and helped him up. He was winded and his mask was gone. It was as if she was seeing a superhero’s secret identity for the first time. But even though Percy was fighting for a good cause, con rules would kick everyone out for it.

“We need to get out of here,” she said, grabbing his hand. And they ran. 

His mask was left on the floor near the rose that fell from his pocket.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> His nose is broken, she's in tears. Could this night get any worse?

Their shoes pounded into the tile as they rounded the corner and bolted down the long, empty hallway, hand-in-hand. Annabeth probably would have noticed that fact if she hadn’t been running from con officials. Either way, her belly was full of butterflies. All she wanted was to get out of there, or rather get  _him_  out of there. If anyone would be in trouble, it’d be Percy.

They burst into the fire stairwell and stopped to catch their breaths. Percy’s hands were on his knees as his shoulders rose up and down with each pant. Annabeth was pacing, trying to calm down. She lifted her chin toward the ceiling and closed her eyes, racking her brain for what to do next.

“Holy shit!” Percy shouted, his voice echoing off the cold cement.

“I know,” Annabeth said. Her adrenaline was still pumping, she felt like she could sprint another mile.

“Did you see what I did?” He straightened, his eyes wide and his smile even wider.

“You’re bleeding.”

Percy put his wrist to his nose and it came away red. “Oh, jeez. Yikes.”

“Here.” Annabeth put her hand in the pocket of her skirt and pulled out a few folded tissues. When she handed them to him, their fingers brushed for an instant.

“Thanks,” he said, his voice nasally as he pinched his nose tight. He winced then and inhaled sharply.

She had to smile. “You’re really dumb, you know?”

He shrugged and grinned. Annabeth’s heart pooled like a popsicle in the sun.

“You didn’t need to do that.”

“I couldn’t  _not_  do that.”

“Yeah, so now they’ll be looking for a Tuxedo Mask with a broken nose.”

“I don’t think it’s broken.”

“Well, it’s definitely not fixed.”

“I’ve had worse. It was worth it this time.”

Annabeth didn’t know what to say. The adrenaline had left a foul taste in the back of her throat, and it burned on her tongue, but not as much as the burn behind her eyes. She blinked and held her breath, focusing on the here and the now. But the memory of Bruce’s fingers that groped, the ghost of the stink on his breath, the way he looked at her like she was a - … All of it invaded her thoughts and couldn’t be stopped.

Percy’s bloodied smile fell. “Oh, please don’t cry. I’m just trying to lighten the mood.”

She shook her head, willing for the prickle behind her closed eyes to go away. “It’s just…” A small sob broke through.

“Hey, hey,” Percy soothed, removing the tissue and approaching. He stopped just short and didn’t touch her. “It’s okay. He’s gone. You’re safe now.”

His voice was like a lighthouse in the fog, guiding her to calmer waters.

“Augh,” she groaned, wiping the tears away from her cheeks. Mascara and foundation came with it. “I’m being stupid.”

“There’s nothing stupid about feeling violated.”

Annabeth turned away, unwilling to let Percy see how much it hurt. That kind of weakness was still private - something she had to deal with on her own. Showing those tears only made it more real. A bubble of pressure swelled in her chest, and her breath came out in little hitches. She had to push all of it back down, hide it away for another day - month - year... She wasn’t the kind of person to intentionally think about things that hurt.

Percy lingered nearby, not willing to step closer. She could feel him shift from foot to foot, and heard the beginning of words get abandoned halfway through the motion. He was clearly trying to find a way to make her feel better, and that alone was enough to help.

She turned and found him looking like a lost puppy, his dark brows scrunched together and raised and his eyes tracking back and forth over hers like he was trying to find a way in.

“I’m better. I’m just a little shaken up.” She blinked and felt that one of her fake eyelashes had come loose. She peeled it off and did the same with the other.

“Look at us. We’re a mess,” Annabeth said, pitching a smile.

“Maybe one of us,” he said, putting the tissue back up against the free flowing stream of red from his nose.

“Does it hurt?”

He paused, pondering the question. “Uh, yeah, actually. It does a lot now that I think about it.”

“Let’s get you cleaned up and out of that costume. People are going to be looking for us. Where are you staying?”

“The Horton Grand.”

Annabeth perked up. “Me too.”

* * *

 

The hotel door clicked as it unlocked and Annabeth pushed it open. The lights were off, the room was empty - Piper was still abroad.

“Come on in. The first aid’s in the bathroom.”

Percy had a dry cleaning bag slung over his arm, one had had fetched before following her to the room, and he trailed in after Annabeth and lingered near the closet. He looked around the room, taking in the mess that filled it. Suitcases lay open on the floor with clothes spilling out, empty wig heads were displayed like trophies on the dresser, art in plastic sleeves fanned out across the pair of king-sized beds. Annabeth hadn’t expected to bring anyone back to her room, and sharing a hotel room with four other girls was going to be hectic enough.

Annabeth took little time in sliding her wig from her head and ripping her wig cap off with it. She shook out her curls that was wild in its ponytail and scratched her itchy scalp with her fingernails.

“Freedom!” she gasped.

“This looks exactly like my room,” he said with a smirk. He flipped the light on in the bathroom and laughed. The counters were piled high with every kind of makeup on the planet.

“Yeah, sorry. It’s kind of packed.”

“You guys are really serious about this.”

“Yeah.” She chuckled, like it wasn’t the most embarrassing thing in the world. Whenever she mentioned to a stranger that she enjoyed cosplay, she was met with raised eyebrows and incredulous smiles. They probably thought this was some sort of kink fetish or childish game. Little did they know it was a genuine art, at least Annabeth treated it as such. So she learned quite quickly never to mention her hobby again. It made her popular at parties for all the wrong reasons.

“I’ll just be a minute,” he said.

“Be careful with the door. It can be kind of tricky sometimes and doesn’t shut fully.”

“Oh okay, thanks.”

She nodded and he closed the door behind him. She could hear faint movement within and a zipper being drawn down on the dry cleaning bag. While she waited, she made herself busy by re-mounting the wig on top of its head and wiping her face clean with makeup remover. Her eyes were still puffy and red from her cry in the stairwell, and rubbing them so vigorously didn’t help much. Without all that concealer and foundation, she looked vulnerable, pink-cheeked and open. There was nothing to hide behind anymore.

The warm tingly feeling from her drinks had long since gone but she felt better than before.

With a sigh, she plopped down on the bed and handled her phone. It was almost ten-thirty. After scrolling through the text messages she typed a quick one to Piper:

**_In the room getting changed. You okay?_ **

She trusted Piper, but Piper could only control so much. Annabeth had to keep her mind from running wild, imagining the worst possible scenarios popping like flashbulbs behind her eyes. After what had happened earlier, she was having trouble believing anyone had good intentions for tonight. Though, she had been proven wrong before…

It wooshed away as the text was sent. All that was left was for her to get out of her cosplay and into something that wasn’t the Sailor Moon involved in a fistfight. She kicked off her boots and threw them into the corner next to the dresser. When she got up to unzip her skirt, she caught movement out of the corner of her eye.

In the mirror facing the bathroom door, she saw Percy, though he didn’t see her. The door had slipped open a tad, revealing a slit to peer through. His back was to her, hopping a little as he pulled on tight, metallic pants. He was tanned, and his skin was so smooth. His shirt was off, revealing fine, well-shape muscles that rippled with every twist and turn. When he reached for something, the hard ridges in his side pulled taut.

Annabeth realized her mouth was hanging open and shut it so fast, her teeth clicked.

She ran a hand through her ponytail and made every intention not to look. She had to give him privacy. All that he had done for her, and  _she_  was the one being the pervert.

“Batgirl. Batgirl,” she said, like a mantra to focus. She knelt before her suitcase and found her gloves and tights. The rest of it was hanging in the closet, the closet near the bathroom.

“You doing okay in there?” she asked, her voice a little higher than normal.

The door squeaked open and Percy walked out.

It was a slight relief that he was fully-clothed, but what didn’t help was the fact that he was wearing a burnt orange, long-sleeved t-shirt, as tight as the skin of his own body. It was adorned in shiny scales, like that of a fish. To say he looked good would be the understatement of the century. The way his shape started wide at the shoulders and narrowed to the waist was almost godlike.

Her eyes finally met his and she cringed - they were purpling, and his nose was like an eggplant. At least it had stopped bleeding.

“That bad, huh?” he asked.

“No!” she said, her voice high again.

“Yup, I knew it.”

“I mean - it looks like you got punched in the face.”

“Because I did.”

“Well, yeah…”

He laughed and ran his fingers through his dark hair and grinned sheepishly.

“I can help if you want,” she said.

“What are you gonna do?”

She inched past him, leaning back to give his chest a wider berth than necessary and disappeared into the bathroom. She rummaged around and grabbed the bag she needed. It was impossible to ignore the fact that the bathroom smelled like him now.

When she came back out, Percy was sitting on the bed, leaning backward on his elbows like he was basking on the beach. She held up the bag to show him.

“Makeup?” His eyebrow raised.

“No one will even notice.”

“Alright, if you say so.”

There was a chair pushed underneath the desk, which she pulled out and situated in front of him. Neatly, she laid out the concealer, foundation, and sponges on the tabletop and took the seat. He watched her, with mild curiosity, and sat up when she was ready.

“Hmm…” she said, looking over the skin on his cheeks. It was as fair an excuse as any to get a long, good look at him. He had a sharp jaw, and a sharper nose, and his lips were constantly twitching into a smile. He did that a lot. And his eyes - oh wow, his eyes. Where could she even start? “You’ve got warm undertones, so this’ll be easier than I thought.”

She picked up the concealer pen and shook it.

“Please be gentle,” he said, his hands clenching the sheets, ready for impact.

“I’ll try. Just - ” she drew her hand up and hovered just over his nose “- stop me if it’s too much.”

He gave a slight nod and closed his eyes. There was half a second where Annabeth relished the moment. Here he was, this complete stranger, closing his eyes and trusting her implicitly. She bit her lip when she smiled, suddenly feeling like jumping around the room. He was so cute. What would Piper say if she walked in?

Steeling herself, pulling it all together, she put the tip of it down, and drew gentle lines across his purpling skin.

“You’re a monster,” he said, grinning through the wince.

“I’m so sorry,” she pleaded.

He laughed, and his breath was warm on her arm. She couldn’t help but laugh too.

“Turn your head a bit towards the light,” she said.

He did as he was told and he didn’t put up much fuss either. “See? Not so bad,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper. Her pinky was steadying her hand, and his skin was so warm under her touch. She used her finger to smooth out the harsher edges.

“This is actually kind of relaxing,” he said.

“I’m glad. You’ve had a rough night.”

He didn’t say anything, simply smiled. Who would have thought someone would gladly take a hit to the face over her?

“Alright, next is foundation. It’s waterproof, but don’t go rubbing up on things.”

“Aw, where’s the fun in that?”

Heat smacked her cheeks. She bit her lip again and he opened one eye to look at her.

She put her hand down, as if in defeat, and mock scolded him. “I’m serious. After all I do for you, honestly…”

He chuckled.

She got back to work and he closed his eyes again. “You know what, guys should wear makeup more often. I mean, not that you need it or anything, I’m just saying…”

“Yeah, you don’t need makeup either.”

He was really, really good at making her feel better by the second.

She dabbed a sponge with the foundation and spotted it all over his face, then she began blending. It was a long process, making sure the darkness of his nose wasn’t that noticeable. She took time and care in her work. Every now and again, he flinched but he would sigh and say he was okay. She had to take his word for it.

“Alright,” she said, tracing his cheek with her pinky. “I think I’m done.”

He opened his eyes and truly he was a different man. She could barely tell what had happened, save for some slight swelling along the bridge of his nose.

“How do I look?” he asked, blinking his eyes open as if waking from a nap.

_How do you look? Really? How do you look? What kind of loaded question is that?_

“Really… really good,” she said, like she was stuck in a dream. A flop in her belly made her suddenly aware of how close she was to him, close enough to see the stubble on the sides of his cheeks, the tiny scar above his eyebrow, the golden flecks in his irises.

His eyes lingered on her lips then met hers again. They were closer than ever.

“I should…” she whispered, her vision entirely consumed by his face.

“You should…?” he whispered back.

She drowned in the scent of him, numb to the world. He leaned in, head inclined, eyes drooping, lips parted. And she let him come, matching him move by move, and the flop in her belly grew stronger until she shook with the thrill. Her knees felt like Jell-o.

She imagined his lips feeling like the smoothness of his back, and she traced the ridges as she went, leaving her mark on the canvas that was his body, her touch a brush that smeared and drew with every stroke.

Their lips gazed -

The door opened.

Piper’s laugh snapped Annabeth back into her own mind.

“Oh, sorry, I -” Piper paused as Annabeth turned and hurried to pack away the makeup, cursing the gods of timing. “Who is this stranger?” Piper asked, her voice curling with every word. Piper stood, smiling in the doorway, the blond Superman behind her peering curiously inside.

“Uh, he’s the Tuxedo Mask from earlier today,” Annabeth said, trying her best to avoid eye contact because she was sure her face was so flushed it looked like she had been slapped. She hurried past Piper and into the bathroom to tidy up.

“Oh, really? Did we interrupt something?”

Percy just laughed.

Annabeth hid behind the door, pretending like she was straightening towels but she was really putting a hand to her forehead and trying to collect herself.

Piper and Percy exchanged introductions which gave her enough time to make the boil in her face calm down to a gentle simmer.

“Dude, Jason - where have you been all day?” Percy asked. Was he talking to the Superman?

“I went to the Marvel panel. They just announced the new lineup for the next decade, it was insane. I don’t think I can hear properly still. Am I talking too loud? I feel like I’m talking too loud."

Percy’s laugh was enough to make Annabeth settle. But she was going to straight up murder Piper.

“Hey, Annabeth,” Percy’s dark head popped into the bathroom, all smiles as if nothing had even bothered him. “Mind if I keep my tux in here, just until we come back?”

“Where are we going?” she asked, brushing some loose hairs out of the way.

“Come and see,” he said then added, “ _Babs_.”

“Right,” she said, her smile soft on her own lips. “Give me ten minutes.”

 


End file.
